Chalk & Ignorance
by Belle.Zelda
Summary: Link, a spirited young boy of ten, is blissfully spending his days in the only home he's ever known; the secluded woods of Kokiri Forest. Will Link ever receive his own fairy companion, or will he be tormented further by his impish neighbors? Read on to find out. An entertaining, yet poetically written narrative about our favorite young hero living among the Kokiri children.


Chapter One: Dust Motes and Bliss

Wiping the white dust from his fingers to his weathered green shirtfront, Link smiled as he looked at his chalk drawing. The sketch depicted a sloppily drawn two-dimensional version of himself, standing before an ominous, daunting lizard creature. If one were to view the picture without knowledge of Link's lively imagination, they might deduce that the circular smear between the two figures was an unfinished drawing of the sun in the sky above, or perhaps it was the head of a faceless person he had neglected to provide facial features. Link, the artist himself, knew exactly what the circle was, of course. It was a bomb. A lit explosive, hurled from his own hands into the gaping mouth of the monster.

Young Link was a brave young tike. He always had been, even for a spirited boy of around ten. Frequently seen scampering around with a wrinkly-eyed smile, and a sturdy stick in hand, he was always happy to swat away dangerous villains with his "sword". Most of his friends humored him with enthusiasm; Link was a fun playmate to the other Kokiri children.

The Kokiri were often called Forest Children, Fairy Children, or Fairy Folk. Of course the young ones weren't fairies themselves; outsiders called them so due to their fairy companions. Every child who lived in the Great Deku Tree's Kokiri Forest was given a fairy companion. If not for the children's distinctive green apparel, their fairies were what made them exclusively Kokiri.

Link, however, sadly had always been without a fairy companion. Sometimes teased for the lack of a floating orb of winged light, he was quite self conscious on that subject. Most Kokiri had been accompanied by their fairies for as long as any of them could remember. Frankly, they didn't understand why Link was without one. Often trying to comfort him with words of encouragement, they always reassured him that his fairy _would_, most _definitely_ find him someday! (But if they were being honest with themselves, in their hearts they began to doubt that theory as the truth.)

The little green-clothed dwellers of Kokiri Forest blissfully played together, heartily scolded each other, and cared for one another with compassion. The small community living in that sanctuary of foliage and dappled light was all every inhabitant had ever known. Their only master was the Great Deku Tree, and the fear he instilled within them for the unknown outside world. For children of the Kokiri were forbidden to leave their wooded haven. Although the majority of the children were often nothing but mischievous impish brats, not one resident of Kokiri Forest ever seriously considered venturing outside their dear, beloved home. Of course, every one of them had been guilty at least once of threatening to leave, run away, or banish another out of their forest domain, never was there a bit of truth in those threats. In fact, leaving their home or being without it was the worst thought any of them could fathom. There wasn't anything outside that they needed, or wanted in the least bit.

Link barely heard the approaching footsteps; he was proudly examining his drawing and halfway in the dreamland it was inspired by. Saria stood behind Link's right shoulder, putting her hands on her hips, leaning forward with a cocked head and a grin. She could see Link was in a dreamy state. He acknowledged her with a playful elbow to the side. They giggled together as young friends do, not needing anything in particular to be a humorous subject.

"I wondered if I'd find ya over here. Good thing you only drew that with chalk. Hopefully it'll wash away next time it rains!"

Link gave her a questioning look.

"What!" Link jokingly acted like her words were offensive. "This beauty!" He thrust out his hands palm-up towards his drawing. "It's _my_ tree house, Saria, and I'll draw whatever I want on it, _thank you very much_." He threw her a grin and added, "What are you up to anyway?"

She stood with one hand on her hip now and all her weigh on that side, looking very sideways and mischievous with her other hand behind her back. "Oh. I just had somethin' I wanted to show ya…" She rolled her eyes about with her lips together smiling to one side.

"Oh really?" Link questioned eagerly. "What? What! What's behind your back…" He tried sidestepping around her to catch a glimpse of what she had. Chances were, if Saria had something worth sharing, it was always good. Saria kept turning around and avoiding Link's curious moves, and all the while he amused her all the more. How clever she was, and she knew it.

"Ha!" She threw out both her hands to him. He frowned. _Empty_! "Sorry Link, I couldn't resist - but I really do have something I wanna show ya!" Although he was let down by her innocent trick, he still looked forward to whatever "_it_"was that she wanted to show him. He felt good to be included, since so often lately he was being teased.

Saria was about to launch into the explanation of "_it_", but she was interrupted by the obnoxious and purposefully loud, "Hphmp" of Mido. Bossy Pants himself was frowning (as usual), glaring in their direction, and angrily stomping to his house. Link was growing desperate to hear whatever Saria had wanted to tell him, but he recognized the disappointed, guilty look on Saria's face.

You see, Saria was a kind soul. She was well liked by all who lived in Kokiri Forest, and she was hurt deeply to know that anyone was unhappy with her, for any reason, justified or not. Seeing Mido trudge off was enough to make her rethink all the attention she had been giving Link lately. She was not intentionally trying to make Mido, the "Boss" of their village, feel left out, and now she would do what she could to repair the damage done, no matter how small and uncalled for.

"Oh. Link, I-uh, we-we'll have to talk later," she told to him softly. She gave him a half-hearted, apologetic smile and left him standing alone.

He unenthusiastically waved "bye" to her back as she scampered off to console Mr. Easily Annoyed. _Whatever_, he thought with a frown, and resumed his tree house doodle.


End file.
